A form of ritualistic cannibalism practiced within a group or tribe, typically involving the consumption of deceased members as part of funeral or spiritual ceremonies.
From Greek 'endo-' (within) + 'cannibalism' (from Carib indigenous word 'canibales'). Anthropologists created this term in the 20th century to distinguish internal ceremonial practices from external or predatory cannibalism.
Anthropologists discovered that some cultures practiced endocannibalism as a way to honor the dead—consuming them was a spiritual act of respect, completely different from eating enemies in warfare.
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